ECU basketball schedule loaded with nonconference home games

The Pirates will begin the second Joe Dooley era by playing eight of their first 10 games in Greenville

Nearly two decades after he was fired as East Carolina’s basketball coach, Joe Dooley, left, has been hired away from Florida Gulf Coast to return to Greenville. (Rob Goldberg Jr. / Courtesy of ECU)

The second Joe Dooley era of East Carolina basketball will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 6 when the Pirates take on Delaware State at Minges Coliseum.

Dooley, who returns to the Pirates 19 years after his first tenure in Greenville, has put together a favorable nonconference schedule that includes nine home games and only one trip outside North Carolina before the start of American Athletic Conference play in January.

Other highlights of the schedule, which was announced Wednesday, including eight of the first 10 games at home, including games against in-state rivals High Point on Nov. 24, Appalachian State on Nov. 30 and NC A&T on Dec. 28.

ECU’s first road game will be a trip to Georgia Tech on Nov. 16. They will also travel to UNC Wilmington on Nov. 27 and Charlotte on Dec. 18.

The Pirates will also take to the road to start conference play on Jan. 2 at SMU. Among the home dates of note are a visit from Cincinnati on Jan. 5, Wichita State on Feb. 6, Memphis and its new coach Penny Hardaway on, Houston on Feb. 27 and UConn on March 10.

The AAC tournament will be played at the FedEx Forum in Memphis from March 14-17.

Dooley, who spent the past five seasons coaching at Florida Gulf Coast, returns to ECU as the winningest coach in school history with a winning percentage of .524 from 1995-99.

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